Health – Winnipeg Free Press

A cyclist rides across the new crosswalk at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

‘Unsettling:’ Minister says one patient attacked another at Edmonton emergency room

Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: 1:20 PM CDT

EDMONTON - Alberta's hospitals minister says a patient seeking care at a major Edmonton emergency room was taken into custody after attacking another patient on Friday.

Matt Jones says in a social media post that Edmonton police and other hospital personnel quickly de-escalated the evening attack at the Royal Alexandra Hospital ER, north of Edmonton's downtown.

"Their actions helped ensure the safety of those present and provided timely care to the victim," he said in a post on X.

"We recognize that incidents like this are unsettling. No one, patients, staff, or physicians, should feel unsafe in our hospitals."

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‘Wow!’ The eye surgery marathon that restored sight for some South Africans

Michelle Gumede, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

‘Wow!’ The eye surgery marathon that restored sight for some South Africans

Michelle Gumede, The Associated Press 4 minute read 3:03 AM CDT

TSAKANE, South Africa (AP) — Gladys Khoza had missed being able to see her family. Not because they couldn't visit, but because the 84-year-old had vision problems.

Now that has changed. Khoza is one of 133 people whose sight was restored during a “marathon” of free cataract surgeries conducted by doctors in South Africa at two hospitals over two weekends last month.

“Wow!” a delighted Khoza whispered as a nurse peeled back a bandage a day after her operation, and the world came back into view.

“Can you see me?” the nurse asked. “Very well,” Khoza replied, a big grin on her face.

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3:03 AM CDT

An ophthalmologist performs cataract surgery while an assistant hands him surgical instruments during a marathon event, in Tsakane, South Africa, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Kayleen Morgan)

Raw dairy farm recalls some cheese products as FDA investigates E. coli outbreak

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Raw dairy farm recalls some cheese products as FDA investigates E. coli outbreak

Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press 3 minute read Yesterday at 12:26 PM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A California dairy producer that health authorities have been investigating amid an ongoing outbreak of E. coli is recalling some of its raw cheese products, after initially refusing to do so.

Raw Farm of Fresno, California, said Thursday it is voluntarily recalling more than a half-dozen varieties of its cheddar cheese made from raw milk. The recalled batches carry expiration dates spanning from May 2026 to September 2026.

Interest in and sales of raw milk have been rising in recent years, fueled by social media and growing support from the Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement. Raw milk has not been pasteurized, which kills germs like E. coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter.

The Food and Drug Administration began investigating cases of E. coli food poisoning among people who had reportedly consumed the company's products last month and previously requested a recall.

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Yesterday at 12:26 PM CDT

FILE - A sign for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is displayed outside their offices in Silver Spring, Md., Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Concerns over a Nebraska hospital show how a $50B rural health fund is coming up short

Margery A. Beck And Ali Swenson, The Associated Press 7 minute read Preview

Concerns over a Nebraska hospital show how a $50B rural health fund is coming up short

Margery A. Beck And Ali Swenson, The Associated Press 7 minute read Yesterday at 6:17 AM CDT

CREIGHTON, Neb. (AP) — Rick and Jane Saint John chose to live in the small town of Creighton, Nebraska, for one main reason: its hospital.

The couple has a child with nonverbal autism and epilepsy who requires up to three hospital visits a week. And Creighton's critical access hospital has been a lifeline for Jane: not only is she employed there, but three years ago, doctors saved her life when she contracted bacterial pneumonia. If she had waited another day for care, doctors said, her organs would have begun to shut down.

“And if we had had to drive the hour to the Yankton (South Dakota) hospital," Rick Saint John said, his voice breaking with emotion, "it could have cost her her life.”

So the Saint Johns were shocked to hear that Avera Creighton Hospital faces financial peril. A $50 billion government fund meant to transform rural health care will do little to help. It's a problem that millions of Americans in rural areas are awakening to as they realize there's no windfall coming for the vulnerable hospitals near their homes.

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Yesterday at 6:17 AM CDT

Avera Creighton Hospital is seen on Feb. 24, 2026, in Creighton, Neb. (AP Photo/Margery A. Beck)

Easter eggs can be dyed and still eaten. Just follow these tips to make sure it’s safe

Sarah Raza, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Easter eggs can be dyed and still eaten. Just follow these tips to make sure it’s safe

Sarah Raza, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Easter is around the corner, and it's time to start thinking about how to decorate your eggs.

Whether you're dying eggs for your table spread or planning to hide them for an egg hunt, it's important to follow food safety guidelines to minimize germs and maximize your egg quality.

You have some time to eat your eggs

Eggs are remarkably long lasting, so there needn't be a giant rush to eat them.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

FILE - Painted Easter eggs hang from an Easter Tree in Saalfeld, central Germany, March 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer, File)

What to know about the battle over lawsuits alleging that Roundup weedkiller can cause cancer

David A. Lieb, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

What to know about the battle over lawsuits alleging that Roundup weedkiller can cause cancer

David A. Lieb, The Associated Press 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Kentucky lawmakers have brushed aside the objections of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to enact a new law that could protect global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer from state lawsuits alleging it failed to warn customers that a commonly used weedkiller could cause cancer.

The veto override Wednesday by Kentucky's Republican-led General Assembly comes just weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court is to hear arguments in a case that could erect a nationwide shield against such liability lawsuits. It also comes as Bayer is asking a Missouri court to approve a $7.25 billion settlement that could resolve tens of thousands of claims that its Roundup weedkiller caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The multipronged action in state capitols and courtrooms highlights what's become a pressing financial issue for the Germany-based company, which is also known for its pharmaceuticals. It also hits on an issue that has revealed split viewpoints among President Donald Trump's supporters and the Make America Healthy Again movement.

Here's what to know about the legislation and lawsuits involving Bayer:

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

Congo says its mpox outbreak is over after 2 years and more than 2,200 suspected deaths

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Congo says its mpox outbreak is over after 2 years and more than 2,200 suspected deaths

The Associated Press 2 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Congo on Thursday declared the end of a two-year outbreak of the mpox disease that's believed to have caused more than 2,200 deaths in the country.

Health Minister Roger Kamba told journalists that the government had made the determination that the outbreak was over and no longer a national emergency.

Congo, a vast country in central Africa, was at the center of an outbreak of the infectious viral disease that spread to neighboring countries in 2024 and prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a global health emergency as it spilled over borders. WHO ended the global health emergency declaration in September.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were more than 161,000 suspected cases of mpox in Congo during the outbreak between 2024 and this year, with around 37,000 of them confirmed through tests.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

FILE - A man suffering from mpox waits for treatment at the Kamituga General Hospital in South Kivu Congo, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, File)

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Mississippi lawmakers send bill that criminalizes abortion-inducing medication to governor

Sophia Paffenroth/mississippi Today, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Mississippi lawmakers send bill that criminalizes abortion-inducing medication to governor

Sophia Paffenroth/mississippi Today, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

People who distribute, or intend to distribute, abortion-inducing medication in Mississippi could face a criminal charge and up to 10 years in prison if convicted, under a bill lawmakers are sending to Republican Gov. Tate Reeves.

Experts say criminalization could lock up desperate Mississippians and scare doctors away from prescribing these medications in clinical settings for non-abortion purposes, such as stopping postpartum hemorrhaging and easing symptoms of miscarriages.

Lawmakers added restrictions on abortion-inducing drugs to a drug trafficking bill that passed the House 76-38 and the Senate 37-15 on Tuesday. Republicans control both chambers.

“I think we’re going to end up trapping a lot of people into the criminal justice system simply because they want to have autonomy over their own bodies,” said Rep. Zakiya Summers, a Democrat from Jackson, who voted against the bill.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

FILE - Mississippi State Rep. Celeste Hurst, R-Sandhill, listens to a colleague's questions during her bill presentation in the House chamber, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, file)

Canada’s labour market is ‘static’ after a year of U.S. tariffs, population shift

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Canada’s labour market is ‘static’ after a year of U.S. tariffs, population shift

Craig Lord, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

OTTAWA - Thursday marks one year since U.S. President Donald Trump upended the global trading system with his "Liberation Day" duties — a major step in his wider tariff campaign that's hammered critical sectors of Canada's labour market.

With roughly a year of employment data now in hand showing the impact of Trump's tariffs on Canadian jobs, economists say some of the early resilience to the trade disruption is giving way to a stalled labour market. A shrinking labour pool is also throttling job growth, experts warn.

And there are now risks that weakness could be spilling over from industries hard-hit by tariffs into services and sectors not directly exposed to the new trading order.

"The labour market over the past year has been pretty stable, and maybe even a better word for that is static," said Brendon Bernard, senior economist at job search platform Indeed.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Workers inspect sheets of stainless steel after being pressed from coils, at Magna Stainless and Aluminum in Montreal on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

A rare school in Kenya is empowering teenage mothers with education and child care

Jack Denton And Zelipha Kirobi, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

A rare school in Kenya is empowering teenage mothers with education and child care

Jack Denton And Zelipha Kirobi, The Associated Press 4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

KAJIADO, Kenya (AP) — Valarie Wairimu has no time to rest during break time at Kenya's Greenland Girls School. The teenager grabs a snack and goes straight to what makes this school unique: its nursery.

The 19-year-old is met by a team of nannies who have been watching her baby, Kayden, before she feeds him between classes.

The school is the only educational institute in Kenya dedicated to teenage mothers and cares for many of their children. For its 310 students and more than 80 children from infants to toddlers, Greenland represents a second chance at school that is free from stigma and, experts say, a model for how young mothers can be reintegrated into education.

“When I found that I was pregnant, I didn’t have anywhere else to go,” said Wairimu, who has placed near the top of her class in exams at Greenland and hopes to become a doctor.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Valarie Wairimu, 19, interacts with her son, Kayden Darmain during breaktime at Greenland Girls School in Kiserian, Kajiado, Kenya, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Post-mortem indicates New Zealand rugby player who died by suspected suicide had CTE

Steve Mcmorran, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Post-mortem indicates New Zealand rugby player who died by suspected suicide had CTE

Steve Mcmorran, The Associated Press 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand professional rugby player who died by suspected suicide last year had advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain abnormality linked to repeated concussions, according to a post-mortem examination.

The diagnosis was announced Thursday by Coroner Ian Telford, who is conducting a preliminary hearing into the death of Shane Christie who died in August aged 39.

CTE is a disease which causes progressive damage to brain tissue and has been known to cause mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression, among other symptoms. It can only be diagnosed after death.

Christie was a former New Zealand Maori representative who believed he was suffering from CTE and campaigned for greater understanding of the condition after the death of his friend and fellow rugby professional Billy Guyton, also by suspected suicide.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Highlanders player Shane Christie, center, gets into space during the Round 16 Super Rugby match between the Queensland Reds and the Highlanders at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia on May 30, 2014. (Dave Hunt/AAP Image via AP)

Diabetes advocates cross their fingers as a bipartisan bill revives efforts to lower insulin costs

Ali Swenson, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Diabetes advocates cross their fingers as a bipartisan bill revives efforts to lower insulin costs

Ali Swenson, The Associated Press 6 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — Two-year-old Bain Brandon has Type 1 diabetes and needs insulin to live. But even with health insurance, the price tag isn’t cheap.

A one-month supply of insulin vials and a three-month supply of backup pens for the Mississippi toddler cost his parents $194 last week, according to his mom, 29-year-old Marlee Brandon. They can afford it right now — but she worries about the future.

“One day, Bain will be an adult, and he won’t be able to be on our insurance anymore,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people don’t realize how much and how expensive it is.”

A bipartisan group of senators is aiming to relieve that cost burden with the INSULIN Act, a bill to cap the cost of the lifesaving drug at $35 per month for Americans with private insurance plans. The bill, introduced last week by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and John Kennedy, R-La., would also start a pilot program to provide more affordable insulin to uninsured Americans in 10 states. A somewhat similar bill passed in 2022, as part of the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, a sweeping package from Democrats that successfully capped the drug at $35 per month for older adults on Medicare.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

FILE - Packets of insulin vials and pens are warehoused at a Kaiser warehouse in Downey, Calif., March 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)

Sexual harassment lawyer sues over rejected airport ad, now has a massive billboard

Bruce Shipkowski, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Sexual harassment lawyer sues over rejected airport ad, now has a massive billboard

Bruce Shipkowski, The Associated Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

A lawyer sued an upstate New York airport after it rejected a small ad for her sexual harassment law firm. Now she has a massive sign there.

Megan Thomas signed a contract last summer for the ad at Syracuse Hancock International Airport. She wanted it to read: “When HR called it harmless flirting … we called it exhibit A,” but the airport asked her to soften the “harsh” wording.

Instead, she filed a suit. Now, the ad is finally up, with the wording intact — and much larger than she originally intended.

Two walls of the travel hub are emblazoned with the big, pink advertisement, along with a huge photo of Thomas, Syracuse.com first reported.

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

Megan Thomas, a sexual harassment lawyer in Syracuse, poses for a portrait with her advertisement at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Syracuse, N.Y. (Chloe Trofatter/The Post-Standard via AP) CORRECTION: Corrects from Regional to International.

CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

CDC pauses dozens of types of lab testing during evaluation and in wake of downsizing

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 3 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — The federal government's disease-tracking agency has paused its diagnostic testing for rabies, monkeypox and a number of other infectious diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week posted a list of more than two dozen types of testing that have become unavailable.

This is not the first time the CDC has paused some of its lab testing. But it is pausing more kinds of tests than ever before, and it is not totally clear why, said Scott Becker, chief executive officer of the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

A government spokesman called the pause temporary and attributed it to “a routine review to uphold our commitment to high quality laboratory testing.”

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

B.C. Health Ministry touts U.S. recruitment efforts, family doctor connections

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

B.C. Health Ministry touts U.S. recruitment efforts, family doctor connections

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

VICTORIA - The provincial government says B.C. now has the most doctors per capita in the country, while its recruitment efforts targeting U.S.-trained health professionals have wooed more than 500 people to the province as of last month.

The health ministry says in a statement that another 600,000 people have been connected with primary care providers, either a family doctor or a nurse practitioner, since 2023.

The ministry says more than 75 per cent of residents in the province now have a primary care provider, and the province credits its push to train and recruit health workers, including hundred from the United States.

It says more than 500 American health professionals have accepted jobs in the province as of last month, including 109 doctors, 315 nurses, 51 nurse practitioners and more than two dozen "allied health professionals."

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

B.C. Premier David Eby speaks during an announcement about the expansion of a program that assists internationally educated doctors in obtaining a licence to practice in the province, in Richmond, B.C., on Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

To fix a patient’s irregular heartbeat, doctors first tested its digital ‘twin’

Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

To fix a patient’s irregular heartbeat, doctors first tested its digital ‘twin’

Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press 4 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists created virtual replicas of patients’ diseased hearts so precise that blocking a dangerous irregular heartbeat in these digital “twins” showed doctors how to better treat the real thing.

One of the first clinical trials of these custom models suggests it might improve care for ventricular tachycardia, a notoriously difficult-to-treat arrhythmia that is a major cause of sudden cardiac arrest, blamed for about 300,000 U.S. deaths a year.

The study, by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, was a small first step. The Food and Drug Administration allowed the digital twin technology to guide treatment for just 10 patients, and much larger studies will be needed.

But the results reported Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine come as doctors increasingly are exploring how a technology long used in aerospace and other industries might be harnessed for better health, too.

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Wednesday, Apr. 1, 2026

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